Linden Autumn Festival includes kids activities, putt putt golf, more

William E. Ketchum III | MLive.comJosh Clancy welcomes his son, Kasen Johnson, 6, at the end of a large inflatable tiger slide in the Kidz Zone of the annual Linden Autumn Festival.

LINDEN, MI—Autumn
is just about in full swing, and Linden brought in the season this weekend.

The Linden Autumn Festival brought parents and children downtown
on Saturday to enjoy family-friendly fun.

A Kids Zone consisted of face painting, bounce houses—including
two Scooby Doo-branded ones, and one giant tiger slide—and a fishing
competition that began at 10 a.m.

Other activities included a magician, a five-hole putt putt
golf course, a "pretty pooch contest" dog show, a euchre tournament and several
vendors. Family and supporters of Linden High School student Victoria Rilett,
17, sold candy and restaurant cards to raise money for a trip to London, where
she would redeem a dance victory that will let her perform with UDA's All
American Varsity Dance Team on New Year's Day.

A food tent featured area restaurants such as Beale St.
Smokehouse BBQ, Alpine Marketplace, Navistarz Bar & Grill, and others
serving food, beer and desserts. Attendees bought food tickets and redeemed
them at each restaurant's booth.

"I just like the experience," said Josh Clancy, while
sending his son Kasen Johnson, six, up a large, inflatable tiger slide. "The
food tents, local businesses—it's a good thing for the city."

Matthew Larsen and his children, five-year-old Mariah Larsen
and four-year-old Matthew Larsen, participated in everything: they won prizes
in the fishing contest that morning, got their faces painted, and enjoyed sweet
treats while watching the magician perform.

"We've been coming for as long as it's gone on. We live on
Maple St., so we only live two blocks away," Larsen said. "They like the bounce
houses, and I like the food tasting, and just everybody coming together. We love
it all."